I BRING YOU GREETINGS FROM NORTH AMERICA, CANADA AND THEN, Maryland USA WHERE WE HAD VERY EXPLOSIVE MEETINGS
PRAISE AND WORSHIP IS THE ONLY PERMANENT THING THAT HEAVEN AND EARTH HAVE IN COMMON
IF YOU DON’T LIKE PRAISE AND YOU DON’T LIKE WORSHIP, YOU MAY BE MISERABLE IN HEAVEN
THE REASON WHY MOST WORLDLY MUSICIANS GO TO THE devil TO SEEK FAME
THERE ARE NO CONDITIONS TO PRAISE GOD
POWER, WEALTH AND CONNECTION CANNOT KEEP YOU ALIVE
FOR AS LONG AS YOU HAVE BREATH, EVERY OTHER THING YOU’RE TRUSTING THE LORD FOR IS A POSSIBILITY
IT IS A LUXURIOUS THING TO BE CALLED A CHILD OF GOD
YOU CAN ONLY BE A BORN AGAIN WHEN GOD DRAWS YOU NEAR TO HIM
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO DOES NOT LOVE YOU, IF GOD LOVES YOU, THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IS THE ONE LOVING YOU
- Pastor Dr. Paul Enenche on “THE FOCUS OF OUR PRAISE” || June 2024 Anointing Service || Dunamis International Gospel Centre || Glory Dome, Abuja.
I bring you greetings from North America, Canada and then, Maryland. We had very explosive, very impactful meetings. The more we go, the more we see the hunger in the earth and the passion of people and the need for God. Church Gist. Blacks, whites, all races. The earth is being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the seas. Very soon, you’ll see the clip and we will key into the things God did there and move forward. Hallelujah!
This morning, going forward, the Power of Praise in the month, I’d love you praise like you have never done. Church Gist. As we look this morning on the subject, “THE FOCUS OF OUR PRAISE”. Our objective is to understand what fuels our praise. What is it that should make us and cause us to praise? What fuels our praise?
Psalm 103:1-5.
- somebody say a loud Amen.
By way of introduction, it is critical to note that there is a call unto praise that is on every child of God. A call unto praise. Church Gist. And this call is not just for music or worship ministers, it is a call for every child of God. Praise is not something we do to complete the order of service or to fill in the gap, praise is not what we do for fun or for entertainment. As a matter of fact, praise and worship of God is the only thing that does not end when we leave this world. Church Gist. There’ll be no fasting and prayer in Heaven, there’ll be no preaching of sermons in Heaven, there’ll be no healing service in Heaven, no deliverance, no crusades but there’s something that cannot end with the earth, it is praise, it is worship. It is the permanent thing that Heaven and earth have in common, the Church, praise. Concerning the Cherubims and the Angels, He said, “they cease not but that they cried daily, ‘holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Church Gist. The whole earth is filled with His praise”. This is very important. If you don’t like praise and you don’t like worship, you may be miserable in Heaven. That is, if you get there. Because, not to like worship and praise means something is wrong with your relationship with God.
So, what is the focus of our praise? Why do we praise?
- To fulfill the purpose of our creation.
Isaiah 43:21. “I didn’t form them for themselves. I didn’t form them for their own pleasure”. Revelations 4:11. Church Gist. That pleasure is the pleasure of worship and praise. Beloved, we did not create ourselves and we cannot live as we choose. Our Creator already defined our purpose.
You know there was an angel called Lucifer, the archangel that covereth, the covering cherub. The Bible said the workmanship of pipes and tabrets were in his body the day he was created. According to Ezekiel 28, I believe from verse 14. Church Gist. Until this guy became so proud, proud of his beauty, proud of his brilliance. Ezekiel 28:12-15. Musical instrument was wired inside him, tabrets and pipes. When he flung the wing, it was music. That is why unbeliever musicians today want to go to the devil to become popular and to become more musical. But he fell and God said, “let me create his replacement. Church Gist. Let me make man”. That is why he hates man with a passion, the devil. Because he thinks you came to take his place. “So that these people can worship, so that they can praise me”. And the devil decided to give man another assignment. Church Gist. But beloved brothers and sisters, this is the most fundamental thing you must know that God created you, God created me to fulfill the purpose of worship and the purpose of praising Him and that is the focus of our praise, number one.
- To appreciate the gift of life and breath.
That is, we praise God for being a partaker of the life and breath that He gives. Not just being created now but to have life and to have breath. Psalm 150:6. Church Gist. Being alive, being given breath is the reason to praise. He didn’t say, let everybody that has money, praise the Lord. He didn’t say let everyone who has education praise the Lord. He didn’t say let everyone who is married, praise the Lord. He didn’t say let everyone who has a child praise the Lord. He didn’t say, let everyone who has been given Visa, praise the Lord. Church Gist. No, all those are not the conditions for praise. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord, praise ye the Lord!
- can somebody say a loud Amen?
You know the reason why everything that has breath should praise the Lord? Because there are many people who have wealth but they lost breath. Church Gist. The money could not prolong their lives. I don’t know if you have seen, but I have seen. Steve Jobs, aged 51, multibillionaire, Apple. Several people. Wealth was there but breath couldn’t remain. He didn’t say let everybody who has a PhD degree or a First Class praise the Lord because there are those who have First Class whose First Class could not prolong their lives. Church Gist. There are people who are physically powerful. I know of an American President, I heard of him, T.R. Theodore Roosevelt. This man was so rugged in those days that if you look for his trouble, He will declare a physical fight. You’ll fight it out physically, he was very rugged. Look at his face. Very rugged. You couldn’t confront him and go free but he slept and never woke up one day. Church Gist. And it was said, “only in sleep could Theodore Roosevelt have died because if he was awake, he could have fought death”. That was how rugged he was. So, there are people who are powerful whose power couldn’t keep them alive. There are people who are connected, whose connection couldn’t keep them alive. Church Gist. Don’t let the devil cheat you and don’t let the devil deceive you. Let everything that has breath. The meaning of it is, as long as you have breath, any other thing you’re looking for is a walkover. For as long as you have breath, every other thing you’re trusting the Lord for is a possibility.
- I prophesy to you today, in the name of Jesus, the God who gave you the breath will give you the other things that go with the breath!
- say the loudest Amen.
Being alive, we said is not the function of wealth, wisdom or strength. People richer than you have gone, wiser than you have gone, stronger than you have gone, more connected than you have gone. It is not of him that willeth or runneth but of God who shows mercy.
- To appreciate the gift of salvation.
We praise Him as children of God for being a recipient of the gift of salvation. Ephesians 1:4-6. To be called the beloved of God is a cause for jubilation and praise. You know why? John 6:44. Church Gist. Somebody said, “I gave my life to Christ”. Yes, you did but God drew you. If he had not drawn you, you won’t be nearby. John 6:44. “Oh Lord, thank you for drawing me to yourself. Thank you for not leaving me to myself. Thank you for not leaving me to stray and go the way of the world”. Church Gist. Somebody may be confused and say, “oh. If God draws me before I came to Him, then why would He judge those who don’t come to Him?” It’s very simple, God knows those who will respond to His pull. When He said, “Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated” even while they were yet in the womb of their mother. Church Gist. He knew the possibilities of Esau, the tendencies and the proclivities that have not yet manifested. He saw it ahead. Am I communicating at all? Church Gist. That’s why atimes you wonder why you and somebody heard the same Gospel and the person refused to change. There are tendencies in him that is resistant to God. Church. “But above all, Lord, you saw my heart and you pulled me to yourself and you made me accepted in the beloved. Blessed be your name”.
How many of you know that it’s a luxurious thing to be called a child of God? I don’t know how the people of the world are feeling. Church Gist. Those who don’t know God, c in the season we are in, in this Nation and globally, the uncertainty of the world, it’s a terrible thing, miserable thing to be away from God. We thank Him for being accepted in the beloved. Church Gist. Beloved, it doesn’t matter who does not love you, if God loves you, the most important person is the one loving you.
- somebody say the loudest Amen.
- To appreciate God for not giving us over to the will of our enemies.
Psalm 27:4-6. “My enemies want me to sink but He lifts my head”. In Psalm 41:2, concerning the man who considereth the poor and this is applicable for any child of God. Church Gist. Psalm 41:2. Beloved, do you need any prophet to tell you that there are people you see that you know that these people wish you bad? How many of you know that? The reason why the bad will, negative wishes, evil expectation and prognostications, demonic orchestration of the wicked, of bad people regarding your life have not come to pass is God. Church Gist. If what some people have in mind had to come to pass, you would have packed from Abuja and gone to your village since. If what some people have in mind had come to pass, you would have lost your mind. They just keep on wishing and wishing. “You’ll return back to me to beg one of these days, you’ll come”. Church Gist. There are some people, the way their heart is towards you, if you put cocoyam in their heart, it will cook. (Laughs). Do you understand that Proverb? Not that you did anything. Some are angry that you’re not pitiable, you don’t look beggarly, you’re not coming to them helpless, so they’re angry. They hate your guts. Church Gist. Ah! If man were God, they would have cut off your breath since, they would have cut off your life since. But blessed is the God who has not given us over.
- the snare is broken and we are escaped!
Psalm 124:1-8.
- is there somebody who escaped, shout, “I escaped!”
- is there somebody who escaped ancestral altars, generational altars, witchcraft altars, the bad will and bitterness of people, shout, “I escape”.
- I am anointed to announce to you, listen, you shall continue to escape!
- what they wish against you, what they are expecting to happen concerning your life, it will never happen! Rather as they wish it for you, it will backfire on their life! Backfire on their generation and their lineage!
- Somebody shout the loudest Amen.
Hallelujah! It’s a cause for celebration. Just keep on praising God. That you have not ran mad, some people are confused. Church Gist. That you’re not in the hospital because they know what they did. Some took your name to some places, they prayed all manner of bad prayers.
- it will not work, it has not worked, it cannot work and it will never work!
- somebody say a loud Amen!
When praise is declared this morning, I’d like you to praise extra. Listen to me beloved, many of us, you don’t have an idea. Church Gist. When we get to Heaven, God will show you that journey that you were not meant to return back from. Just show you videos, pictures. Just show you, say, “this particular trip, you were meant to…the road was meant to swallow you; see, this particular person that came into your life as a friend, this was what the agenda was, what he was meant to do with you”. We don’t understand. If you know more, you thank more. Church Gist. The things that the enemy planned and plotted, terrible things that would have deleted you from the land of the living that could not come to pass. Beloved, lift your voice and say, “thank you Lord”. Lift your voice higher and say, “Father, thank you!”
- give the Lord the praise and a shout of praise as you take your seat.
Very quickly, let me begin to round up because I want us to have a practical session. The month of praise is not theory, there’s a lot of practical.
- To appreciate Him for granting us access to daily mercies.
We praise Him for granting us access to daily mercies. Mercies on a daily basis. Lamentations 3:24. Church Gist. So, there’s mercy for everyday. Now, what is mercy all about? I’m going to define it in two ways, one in this service, one in the other service.
Mercy renders the wrath of the enemy inconsequential. Mercy is the divine force that renders the wrath of the enemy inconsequential. Church Gist. That is, the devil hates you but he can’t harm you. The people don’t like you but they are helpless with their bitterness. You know there are hatred practitioners? They make a living by hatred. I mean, love is out of their vocabulary. Haters, hate for a living but their hatred is helpless because you’re connected to the one whose mercy is on you daily. Church Gist. Every time you see hatred all around you, you say, “thank you Lord for your mercy” and when that mercy is coming, not only is He neutralizing their hatred but He’s releasing judgment in their camp. Church Gist. “Who slew Sihon, King of the Amorites, for His mercy endureth forever. Og, King of Bashan, for His mercy endureth forever. He buried Pharaoh and the Army of Egypt in the Red Sea, for (His mercy endureth forever)”.
- somebody lift your voice and say, “Lord, thank you Lord for your mercy. I receive your mercies now!”
So, beloved, praise Him for daily mercies.
- To appreciate Him for the gift of health and strength.
Psalm 103:1-3. He healed, He’s healing, He will heal, He healeth. Church Gist. Beloved, knowing that health is not a right but a privilege is a cause for praise. That knowledge is a cause for praise. Church Gist. Knowing that sickness is a major distraction of peace and focus in life, it gives you cause to praise if you have the privilege of health.
One day, I was in an aircraft traveling somewhere, felt a very sudden, more like an arrow, terrible headache, so terrible. Church Gist. I retrieved that arrow, refired it back to hell. When I was normal, I said, “oh, there are people who have this kind of affliction as a permanent deposit”. I valued health much more than before that day. Church Gist. Headache, whatever pain that it was that has taken your focus, the only thing on your mind now is how to be free of that pain and there are people who are in health and are permanently murmuring against God.
A man came to me in Area One in those days carrying a footballer who became paralyzed. As I prayed for him, he said, “Pastor, I didn’t know the value of leg until I could not use it anymore. Now, I know how valuable the leg is”. Church Gist. That is a man who uses his legs for a living. “I didn’t know the value”. Don’t take your health for granted. Don’t take your healing and wholeness for granted.
We went to America, Canada and the devil is such a on a rampage. Child, autism; this one, autism, all manner.
- To appreciate God for daily supplies.
Psalm 68:19. Let me say something to you; someone said, “oh. Whatever I have is by my sweat”. Church Gist. No Sir, every supply you ever experienced is from the Lord because He’s the owner of everything. 1 Chronicles 29:14.
🎵All I have was given to me by the Lord. 🎵
Every single supply. If you will key into the frequency of appreciating God for every supply of your life, you will come to the point where you’ll never run out of supply. Church Gist. Where you’re not thinking that your wisdom, your connections or your contacts gave you the supplies.
One rich man had many children who were looking up to him for his property and had a very wise slave and he realized that “if I give these properties to these children, they’ll just waste it”. Church Gist. So, he said, “all of you children, anything I have, just pick one. Pick one, pick this house and then all the rest of the property, I give to this slave”. So, pick. This one said, ” I pick this house”, another one said, “I pick that property”. The wisest child among them said, “I pick the slave. Yes, you gave everything to the slave, I take the slave”. Church Gist. That is how our life is, everything that you have, your car, your house, everything you have, I will elaborate more in the next service, everything you have, the source is God. When we say “Thank you Lord. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth me with benefits”, you will never come to the end of supplies. Church Gist. The more grateful you are, the more things you’ll have to be grateful for. Praise the Lord.
So we have looked at seven things that our praise will focus on. Let me draw a conclusion and counsel.
- To be created is to praise God, to be alive is to praise God, to be redeemed is to praise God.
That is, no reason is reasonable enough to cause a person to refuse to praise God. Church Gist. If you’re created, you praise God. If you can breathe, you praise God, if you’re redeemed, you praise God. No reason is reasonable enough to prevent man from praising God. - Praise that is centred on God, centred on the character and person of God, not just on what He does but who He is is more impactful and durable, more sustainable than any other kind of praise. Church Gist. Psalm 29:2. You know the meaning of that? There are times when the enemy may tempt some things around you. For example, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the devil was trying to cause them to doubt the preservation power of God. “If you don’t bow to this God..”, Nebuchadnezzar said, “..I will throw you into the burning fiery furnace”. Church Gist. But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said, “we are not careful to answer you in this matter. The God whom we serve is able to deliver us and He will but even if He doesn’t. We are not praising Him because He delivers us, we are praising Him because He created us. We are not praising Him because He delivers us, we are praising Him because He is God. Church Gist. Whether He delivers us or He does not deliver us, the praise is a constant. When you praise God for who He is, you have rendered the devil helpless. He does it or He doesn’t do it, I still praise Him. Church Gist. Devil knows that I am not praising God because of what He would do, I am praising Him because of who He is. What He does or what He does not do is not your concern, leave me and Him to ourselves.
🎵Shout Hallelujah Anyhow🎵
I want somebody this morning to give God an anyhow praise, radical praise, no brakes praise. Church Gist. In Canada, we experienced a very explosive manifestation of God and His spirit. See what happened; after the Commanding the Day midnight prayer, I said we should do a praise session before we step into the service of the night and then somebody held a flag and he was trying to run towards the front and the usher, protocol held him and said he shouldn’t. I said, “no, don’t do that. Allow him to pass”. Church Gist. In fact, I ‘gabadaya’ collected the flag from the person and started running. Boom! Everything broke loose. Atimes, we can be too organized for the Holy Ghost. Atimes, in an attempt to maintain order, we just order the Holy Ghost aside. Except if there’s somebody who has a vicious mind or is trying to do something else that is funny, please, let there be liberty in praise, liberty in the spirit. Right now, for the next 10 minutes, show the Lord that you have life, you have breath, you have relationship with God, that you’re excited that the will of your enemies have not come and will never come to pass. Show Him that you’re grateful for your life and grateful for your health.
- can you help me walk to seven people, tell them, “I want to praise God anyhow!”
—Praises—
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